Afterglow is...

...the title of a poem found in my father's wallet after his death.

Here is what it says:

Afterglow

I'd like the memory of me

To be a happy one

I'd like to leave an afterglow

Of smiles when day is done.

I'd like to leave an echo

Whispering softly down the ways

Of happy times and laughing times

And bright and sunny days

I'd like the tears of those who grieve

To dry before the sun

Of happy memories I leave behind

When day is done.

Helen Lowrie Marshall

I can only guess that my father was touched by the words in this poem, which is why he kept this newspaper clipping in his wallet...it was yellowed and a bit torn, so it probably was there for a few years.
After a search on google, I was able to find the name of the author.

A few weeks after this discovery, I was on Etsy looking for some hand dyed fiber to spin. I found myself in the Etsy shop of wildhare. Would you believe that I came across a polwarth wool top named Afterglow! I knew I had to purchase this fiber, no matter what.



Picture from the Etsy shop of wildhare

It took me longer than usual to spin this just because I had told myself that I would spin it only when I was in the right frame of mind to remember all those wonderful moments with my father and what a very very special person he was. I spent many wonderful afternoons, spinning in the autumn sun just remembering and knowing that my father had indeed left us with a wonderful afterglow of memories.

From this fiber, I knitted a cowl and a pair of mittens.

Pattern: Ripple cowl (free from Bernat)
Needles: 4.5mm
Yarn: handspun from Afterglow polworth wool fiber from wildhare shop
Modifications: I did only three repeats of the pattern because I ran out of yarn. But it still measures 9'' wide by 40'' long. Lot's to wrap twice around my neck.

Pattern: Top down mittens (free from Ravelry)
Needles: 3.5mm
Yarn: handspun from Afterglow polworth wool fiber from wildhare shop
Modifications: none
I love knitting mittens from the top down to the cuff!

Every time I take the cowl and mittens out of the drawer and wear them, my thoughts go to him...my father.

One done

Christmas 2011 gift list... WHAT? allready!
Yup, I have one gift checked off my knitting list for next Christmas.
Daughter V had told me last year that she would love a pair of thrummed mitts. During one of our visits to see our son we stopped at an alpaca farm in Stratford. I just could not resist a thrummed mitt kit in a wonderful grey yarn. I knew they were exactly what V would like.

As I was knitting these mittens, I kept looking at the roving and the yarn...I was really worried I would run out. So I took my scale out and kept weighing the yarn...just to make sure I would have enough to finish.
Well, it was so close...I did not put any roving in the last few rows on the thumbs and I have only a few meters of yarn leftover. Good thing I did not make the mitts for myself cause I would have run out for sure.

But it all turned out well. I am more than happy with these mittens. They are super soft and very very thick. They will be so warm... I just can't wait to give them to daughter V.

The grey colour is deep and rich.

I blogged here about a pair of thrummed mittens I made from myself.

Look at the difference in thickness between these alpaca mittens and my other thrummed mitts! Twice as thick.

I guess I 'll just have to knit myself another pair!



Bliss

Bliss is defined as perfect happiness, utter joy or contentment.

Winter makes me feel that way.

Even though there's very little snow on the ground, due to the rain and mild weather of the past week, I could not wait anymore. So tonight, when I got home for work, I went snowshoeing.

The sun was allready behind the trees but the trails were calling me!

I always like to bring a dog with me and Anouk is the perfect companion. She loves to explore the trails and to have the chance to run as much as she wants. She won't get distracted to the point of chasing a deer should we meet one.

She probably runs two or three times the distance I walk because she's going back and forth all the time. (Blurry picture because I did not have the right setting on my camera for an 'action shot'). But she was coming full throttle at me with a smile on her face...I kid you not!

She pays attention to every noise around us.

Mother-daughter mittens (Rav project page) are now blocked. I forgot that I also have the embroidery to add to the flower, so I might get to that later this week but in the meantime here is a night picture of what they look like.

I hope you also felt a bit of bliss in your day today!

Look twice

What do you see? Well, beside the yummy pasta dish on tv!

I was cleaning the living room and jumped out of my skin when I saw two eyes looking at me.

Mia, will find little spots all over the house to call her own . Sometimes she's on top of a dresser, or behind a curtain, inside a cupboard or in a closet.

My Mother-daughter mittens (Kristin Nicholas pattern) are almost done. I have lots of yarn ends to weave in! As soon as I block them, I will show you.

I still feel the tightness but my back is better.

A few more millimeters of snow fell today! I hope to get back on my snowshoes by the weekend.

 

All is now quiet

After three days of festivities,we are now relaxing! The house is very quiet, everyone is gone back home. Hubby is at work. I will make myself a good cup of tea and take it easy today...pure luxury!

The Réveillon, Christmas dinner and Boxing day dinner all went well. We had lots of good laughs and good food. It's so nice to see eveyone enjoy themselves and share the same old stories year after year adding new ones here and there.
Now I just need to find my recipe for Turkey Pot Pies so that I can do something with the leftover turkey.

I received a pair of snowshoes and will be trying them out today. I look forward to going down the trails with a dog or two with me.

I made my godchild a pair of 100% baby alpaca mitts. The yarn is from Misty Alpacas (not Misty Haven Alpacas this time). The pattern is a mixture of several mitten patterns I've made in the past. I love the chunky yarns and Sara really liked the colours.

And these bright red mitts were for my daughter. They are a bit big but she assured me she would wear them over a thin pair of gloves for extra warmth.
I think I will trace everybody's hand on paper so that I have their size whenever I want to knit mittens for them. I'll do the same for their feet while I'm at it!!

I had bought a beautiful mohair and merino yarn from Wellington Farms this fall. These socks were for my daughter. I really like how thick they turned out. And these fit her perfectly!

And here is the same sock but in a different colour, for me! They look a little scruffy because I have not blocked them yet. Might do that today.

I had purchased the Kristin Nicholas Color by Kristin book a while back. This book is great inspiration for anyone that wants to add colour to their knits.

Last night, I casted on the Mother-daughter mittens from the book.

I used four colours of Cascade 220 I had on hand.

And here is how far along I am.

Sold some hand dyed yarn from my Etsy shop last night! I don't think that the post office is open today so I will have everything ready to mail out early tomorrow morning.

Hoping you can spend time doing something you love today.

I hear my knitting calling me! I'll show you my progress in a few days. 

Just in time

I completed this wonderful alpaca yarn cowl a few weeks ago but could not find the right buttons. Isn't that often the case?
But last week I found these wooden buttons in the perfect shade.
I sewed them on last night while the wind was howling outside and the snow was accumulating at the front door!!

The cowl is from Alana of Never Not Knitting blog. It's called Shawl Collared Cowl.  It's very thick and with the cowl collar, it fit very high and tight around my neck. Great for any winter storm coming my way.

I used yarn is 100% alpaca from Misty Haven Alpacas. I fell in love with the colour right away. It's a little heavier than what the pattern called for but the pattern could be ajusted easily to accomodate the chunky yarn.

 I also made a pair of matching mittens. They were such a quick knit, completed in two evenings. I could not find a mitten pattern for chunky yarn so I ended up making one up. I really like the feel of chunky yarn, especially when it's alpaca chunky yarn from Misty Haven Alpacas. I really must get more of this chuky stuff!

I even had a chance to try it on today out there in the wonderful winter wonderland.



Keep on knitting!!